Preparing for admission

In case of a planned admission of one or more days to our hospital, it is best to discuss and arrange various things. This will ensure that the necessary tests can be carried out and the physicians will have the results available on time. Our Pre-admissions Department will support you in this process and will complete your admission record.

In Maria Middelares General Hospital and in our medical centres in Aalter and Gentbrugge, we refer to the Pre-admission Department, in St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze we also use pre-admission.

Pre-admission

What does the Pre-admission Department do?

Our pre-admission team will work with you to make the necessary administrative, informative and nursing preparations for your admission:

Administration: All administration associated with the admission will be taken care of.
Information: You will receive information about the type of operation, the admission procedure and the guidelines to follow. You will receive a welcome package with various information leaflets.
Nursing: the nurse will chart your medical history and current health status based on the information you have provided. If necessary, the anaesthetist will request additional preoperative tests. (S)he will review your preoperative file at least 48 hours before the operation starts. If the results do not meet the expectations, the GP can still be contacted or additional tests can be requested.

Contact with our pre-admission team is through the pre-admission desk. At Maria Middelares General Hospital, this can also be done digitally via the digital patient platform MyHospital.

Pre-admission through the pre-admission desk at Maria Middelares General Hospital

Visit our Pre-admission Department at Maria Middelares General Hospital no later than the week before your procedure. The administration will be taken care of, you will be given information on the course of your admission and together with the nurse your medical history and current health condition will be mapped out.

An appointment at the Pre-admission Department is not necessary; you can drop by after consulting your physician. You will find the opening hours of the Pre-admission Department below.

Maria Middelares General Hospital	Maria Middelares Medical Centre	Aalter Medical Centre
Every weekday from 8am - 6.45pm	Weekdays 8am - 12pm and 1pm - 5pm.	Weekdays 8am - 12.30pm and 1pm - 5.30pm.

Pre-admission via the digital patient platform MyHospital (only for Maria Middelares General Hospital)

In consultation with your physician, you may decide to organise your pre-admission through the digital patient platform MyHospital. In that case, the attending physician will give you access(read more about MyHospital here).

All information related to your admission and procedure will be made available through the platform. You will also be invited via SMS and e-mail to complete a digital questionnaire. Based on your answers, the nurse on our Pre-admission Team will review your medical history and current health status. You will be given the necessary instructions either by phone or e-mail, as well as any examinations needed to ensure your procedure is safe. All administrative paperwork will be done on the day of your admissions.

Pre-admission through the pre-admission desk at St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze

After the consultation with your physician or at least 72 hours before admission, visit the pre-admission desk (near the reception desk) to prepare the administrative aspects of your admission. You will also be given the information and brochures you need.

What should you bring to the hospital?

Administrative

Identity card
Name, address and telephone number of a person we can contact during your stay.
Proof of hospital insurance (Assurcard, DKV insurance card)
Insurance forms in the event of an accident at work (policy)
Guarantee declaration of foreign insurance
Your registration card if you claim OCMW (social welfare)

Read more in the hospitalisation insurance brochure about supplementary and foreign insurance.

Hospitalisation insurance

Download

Medical

Be sure to bring the following (if applicable):

Documents that your attending physician gave to you prior to your admission
Reimbursement certificates for medication
Prescriptions for allergies or your diet

Your home medication may be replaced by an identical drug that the hospital has in stock. The medication may have a different colour or shape, but it has the same effect. If you still have to take this medication when you return home, you can switch back to the medicine familiar to you. When you are discharged, your physician will give you clear guidelines about which home medication you should or should not continue taking.

Medicines

It is important that your caregivers know what medication you were taking at home (or shortly before your admission).

You will find the following items in the admissions information package that can be of help here.

Medication overview list / home medication: make sure it is completed fully and correctly. If necessary, ask your GP or pharmacist for help.
Paper medication bag (at St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze): put your medicines in their original packaging in the bag and bring it to the hospital.

On arrival at the ward, a nurse will go over the form with you. If you are allergic to certain drugs, please report this during this conversation.

The medication that you brought with you from home is kept at the nursing station. You will get it back when you are discharged from the hospital.

During your stay, you will receive medication from the hospital. Use your own medication only in consultation with your care provider. Bear in mind that certain combinations can have undesirable effects.

Personal items

Toiletries: towels, flannels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shaving items
(Sleeping) attire, robe and closed shoes
Good sports shoes if you are to take part in a course of rehabilitation
Walking aids such as crutches, walker, walking stick... labelled with your last name and first name

Are you coming for a procedure or test? Please only bring with you what is absolutely necessary. Use a bag or suitcase that do not exceed the guidelines for hand baggage: maximum of 55x20x40 cm. That way you will be assured that your things will fit in a locker.

What you should not bring to the hospital

It is better to leave large sums of money and expensive items at home. The hospital is not liable for loss or theft. Jewels and other jewellery (e.g. piercings) are not allowed at the time of your admission for hygienic reasons. So please leave them at home.

Maria Middelares General Hospital: if you have something valuable with you? Put your name on any possessions. You can store your valuables in a safe in your room. If it does not fit in the safe, we can deposit it in the hospital safe. They will be returned to you when you are discharged.
St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze: in an emergency, you can use the hospital's safe to store valuable items during your admission.

Choosing your room

You can choose from the following room types:

room with four beds
double room
single room

The choice of room does not affect the quality of care. Please bear in mind that we may not be able to give you the room you asked for immediately due to lack of space.

The cost of the room (nursing day rate) is paid by the RIZIV (National Institute for Sickness and Disability Insurance). The patient remains responsible for co-payments and additional accommodation costs (the patient portion).

If you choose a single room, you will be charged a supplement. This choice of room may be associated with higher physicians' fees. A list with the maximum fee supplements per physician is available in the Admissions Department. Read more about the price of a room and fee supplements here.

Sign your admission statement

On the day of your (pre)admission, you will sign an admission statement. It includes an overview of your personal contributions to the costs. Our staff will go over the admission statement with you. By signing these documents, you confirm that you agree to:

Your choice of room
The rates and your personal contributions;
The financial terms of your admission.

Watch the video below for further explanations of signing your admission statement:

Welcome leaflet

The general Welcome Leaflet will provide you with specific information, such as what you need to bring to the hospital, where you need to check in, etc.

Only available in Dutch:

Algemene onthaalbrochure AZ Maria Middelares

Download

Click on the button below for an overview of all Welcome Leaflets.

Welcome Leaflets overview

Other downloads

Are you admitted to Maria Middelares General Hospital or St Vincent General Hospital in Deinze for a procedure or examination with a short stay? If so, you may be taken to the discharge lounge soon after your procedure or examination, allowing you to go home sooner. If this is possible for you, your physician will discuss this with you beforehand.